


Out of Milk

by orphan_account



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Ruby & Sapphire & Emerald | Pokemon Ruby Sapphire Emerald Versions
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-20
Updated: 2015-01-20
Packaged: 2018-03-08 09:22:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3204089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Archie and Maxie, both members of Team Rocket, are roommates for purely economic reasons. Or so Maxie said, but Archie acts a little strangely without his morning coffee. Based on a headcanon post by tumblr user maxies-bony-butt.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Out of Milk

“Bzzzt! Bzzzt!” The alarm clock rang incessantly, digital green letters lighting up the otherwise dark room. Maxie groaned and sat upright, his hand slamming forward to shut it off with a startling speed. It was 6:30 A.M on a Saturday, and he had stayed up late the past night, but he had a near-unbreakable morning routine to follow (and letting the alarm go on too long could wake Archie - he slept like an ursaring most of the time, but Maxie had accidentally woken him up more than once before, so he kept the alarm’s volume on the lowest setting). He lifted himself out of bed and put on his clothes. He had today off, so his Rocket uniform stayed in the closet in favor of more casual wear.

 

As per usual, he grabbed two cups from the cabinet as he headed towards the coffee machine. One for him, one for Archie. Arceus knew when the man would wake up, but it was customary for the early riser in the apartment to make coffee and leave some out for the other. Another step in his routine: get up, get dressed, make some coffee (always pitch black for him, and very strong), put the coffee down on the table next to the couch. Go outside and grab the newspaper…

 

 _The Daily Pidgeot_ was reporting on the latest Rocket heist, a large-scale attack on Silph Co. Maxie noted amusedly that he recognized the two grunts guarding the entrance to the building, though he didn’t know their names. He supposed that if they didn’t already know by the next time he went to work, he might have to warn them that their faces were caught on camera.

 

Finding the rest of the news unimportant, he began work on the large Saturday morning crossword. Mostly pokémon trivia, he found the questions like _“What is the dark, super-lucky pokémon who evolves with a stone?”_ insultingly easy, but got stuck on _“This pokémon will fight tooth and scale to win a battle.”_ Perhaps Archie would have a clue when he woke up?

 

Not too much later, although by then Maxie was nearly done with the crossword, the other man made his appearance. He lumbered down the hall reluctantly, clearly still half-asleep, and made his way over to the kitchen counter, where the coffee and his cup waited. Maxie turned, watching him heap several spoonfuls of sugar into his drink, then walk a few paces and open the fridge.

 

“There’s no milk,” Archie grumbled. He wouldn’t drink coffee if he could taste it, but he needed the caffeine to wake up. Neither of them were really morning people.

 

Maxie hadn’t noticed; he hadn’t drunk dairy since he was ten, practically. “One of us will have to go get some more later, then. But come here: what pokémon would _“fight tooth and scale”_ to win a battle? Its name has eight letters, and the second one is an L…”

 

Archie, quiet due to exhaustion, closed the door to the fridge and left his coffee on the counter. But he did walk over to the couch and look at the paper…

 

“It’s clamperl,” he muttered. “I’m gonna get some milk now. You need somethin’?”

 

“No,” Maxie replied. “And this one? _‘A pokémon that can—_ ”

 

Archie leaned down, head only inches from Maxie’s face, and kissed him on the forehead.

 

Maxie froze.

 

“See ya,” Archie said, and then he was gone - out the door, like he wasn’t even there. Was he awake enough to know what he did? How was he so… casual about what just happened? Maxie was still frozen, but his face burned hot, glowing red in the empty room.

 

They rented an apartment together for convenience and frugality only, Maxie thought, staring at the spot Archie had been just moments ago. A Rocket’s salary was good enough, once you had been promoted a few times like he had, but it was simply good economics to share a place like this - he didn’t require much space on his own. So it wasn’t for that intent that he originally moved in with Archie. But… getting to know him, well, that was a bonus. He couldn’t help but admit that since he started sharing an apartment with the man, he had grown fond of Archie… fond, damn it. What was fond, though? Working together as a team well, acting a considerate roommate? Was fond making him coffee every morning, fond watching him closely? Fond smiling warmly in his presence, blushing feverishly when he thought about him alone? Sometimes being starstruck in his presence, like he was the light of the sun?

 

Embarrassed, he admitted to himself that “fond” was not strong enough of a word. He was smitten. He stared down at his crossword again to distract himself, looking at the last empty spaces left…

 

 _“A pokémon that can swim swiftly to any rendezvous.”_ Seven letters. The third a V, and the last a C. _Luvdisc._ He filled in the name nervously, like writing it down would condemn him.

 

He got up, _up_ off the couch immediately. Set the pencil down shakily - that pokemon's name was too much of a coincidence to be true. _It fit. It_ fit! _I can't think about it, though - it's just meaningless coincidence, surely. I need to prepare for what's actually important. What do I say when he comes back? How—_

 

The door opened cautiously by any normal measure, but Maxie's senses were on high alert and he jumped far too noticeably for his pride.

“I got the milk,” Archie said sheepishly, avoiding eye contact. He seemed significantly more awake than before… he poured the cold coffee out and replaced it with a new glass of milk. Drank it. Continued to avoid looking at him. “I, uh…” He started talking, but trailed off. Didn’t finish.

 

Maxie strode over to him, his mind suddenly made up. “No, it’s fine. Really.”

 

He kissed _him_ this time, on the mouth. His speech had exuded an air of confidence, but his face blushed furiously - Archie's did too. He pulled away, allowing both of them to breathe a little. (And think. Maxie wasn't sure how much of _that_ he was doing.)

 

“As long as that kiss wasn’t a mistake on your part, this won’t be on mine.” He leaned forward and kissed him again.

 

It wasn’t.

**Author's Note:**

> (awkward attempts at romance from an aro ace)
> 
> (I'm sorry)


End file.
